The reception class at St Benedict's Catholic Primary School have been learning about the birth of the modern railway 200 years ago.
Helped by the Friends of Handforth Station (FoHS) and Northern Trains the children were able to to understand the significance of the 200th anniversary and make what was for some of the children their first ever train journey.
Rosemary Thomason, the Chair of the volunteer group FoHS, visited the 4 and 5 year-olds at their school and told them a little about railways and trains. She included the history behind Railway 200 and Handforth's role in railways over the two centuries – and then gave the children some information about being safe at the station.
The next day, Mrs Ogden, Reception teacher at St Benedict's, and her helpers walked the 25 children from the school to Handforth station, where they took the train to Alderley Edge. After some time playing in the park, they visited St Philip and St James Church for a quick singalong with Reverend Pye and then took the return train back to Handforth.
Jo Everett, Assistant Teacher, said "Many thanks to Northern Trains for providing our train tickets, and to Rosemary of the Friends. It was very much appreciated. Some of our children hadn't been to a station before, let alone on a train, so it was a valuable opportunity for them to experience something new."
Rosemary Thomason added "It was wonderful to see such excitement and joy from the children as I prepared them for their visit to Handforth Station. Our Friends group loves inspiring children – and others – to use our railways. We look forward to welcoming the next group, in a couple of weeks' time."
